Part 5/8:
Through meticulous testing, including the use of labeled C-13 glutamine, researchers tracked the metabolic pathway’s progression. They discovered that glutamine was primarily converted into succinate, an endpoint indicative of fermentation. This transition, paramount in substantiating their hypothesis, illuminated a secondary metabolic pathway—thus revealing that these cancer cells could survive and proliferate without relying solely on oxidative phosphorylation.
Moreover, cyanide exposure, which blocks oxidative phosphorylation, led to continued ATP production in the presence of glutamine, solidifying the role of fermentation as a crucial metabolic pathway for tumor cells.